Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s Speech at the Signing of MOU for Fiji’s Volunteer Service

August 30, 2012

This Memorandum of Agreement is a milestone in the relationship between the Fiji Volunteer Service and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The Fiji Volunteer Service was launched on 1 March 2012, and the local component of the Service is already assisting Ministries and Departments in the fields of Health, Elections and Education.

I am very pleased to see that the Regional component will begin operations today with a group of Senior Volunteers.

The Fijian Government is committed to work closely with our neighbors and to assist them wherever and however we can. And it gives me great pride to see our citizens embrace that commitment by pledging their own volunteer efforts.

The Republic of Marshall Islands deserves a great deal of credit for quickly and precisely identifying the kinds of training, curriculum development, and organizational and administrative help they needed in their Education Sector. This kind of focused thinking on the part of your education leadership makes the most of what our retired teachers are able to give and ensures that the program will yield lasting results.

Under the Fiji Volunteer Scheme, twelve retired teachers will be leaving our shores next week to teach English, Maths, Accounting, Social Studies and Science subjects in various High Schools in the Marshall Islands. Beyond teaching, however, we know that the time our teachers spend in the Marshall Islands with your country’s educators will lead to a great exchange of knowledge. What happens in the classroom will be important. But what happens outside the classroom will be even more important.

We do not look at this as an assistance program. We see it as an exchange. We believe, of course, that our volunteers, all retired teachers with outstanding experience, will give your teachers new perspectives on teaching, impart new techniques and philosophies, and help develop effective curricula. But we also know that our volunteers will learn many new things from the teachers and the children in the Marshall Islands.

For the volunteers, this is very much a personal effort, but every volunteer is also serving their country, because this program is a part of Fiji’s effort to assist our neighbors where we can. Improving the ability of the people in the region to meet the challenges of the modern world is a priority for all of us in the Region. We all benefit in the Pacific by raising the standards and capabilities of each nation. Where we in Fiji are able to help our neighbors, we are eager to do so.

With those few words, Your Excellency, Mr. Loeak, thank you for accepting our Volunteers and our best wishes go with them in their service to your nation.